7 WAYS ON HOW TO BECOME A FULL STACK WEB DEVELOPER – FULL WEB DEVELOPMENT CAREER ADVICE
How to Become a Full Stack Web Developer | Full web development career advice
7 Ways to become a Full Stack Web Developer
Entering the web development industry is a relatively easy task today, but riding the information technology wave as a full stack developer is not everyone’s cup of tea.
In fact, many even call it a myth!
In an ever dynamic work environment, with too many new technologies being released too quickly, the task does sound rather daunting, if not impossible.
Being a full-stack developer requires you to know about all the front-end technologies and all the back-end technologies.
It would demand you to know all programming languages. Or at least the most used ones.
You need to be good at working with everything, ranging from databases to user interfaces and the stuff in between. But is that even possible? Is it unrealistic to expect someone to be good at everything? Will the client still need different experts for that one project?
And here are some tips and tricks to get you there – at the ultimate destination of being a full-stack developer.
Tip 1: Find your niche.
Most pursuits for success begin with not knowing where you want to be.
True. You may argue, full stack is about learning it all.
But that’s where you’re mistaken. Full stack means identifying where you want to excel and then creating the path that gets you there.
First: identify business and customer needs.
And second: Decide your area of focus.
Web technologies – such as JavaScript – for example, are today a lucrative path for many. If you too relate to this area, then your full stack would, for example, consist of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, general-purpose programming languages, database systems, web server, deployment operating systems, payment systems and a version-control system. This on its own will get you a long way.
Tip 2: One language, not all.
With your focus in place, you next need to zoom in on the technologies you’re your stack will need.
Here too, most developers try to learn all that they can. Doing that is not only overwhelming but given the kind of technology range available out there, it’s close to impossible.
What you need to do then, is to focus on learning a few important technologies. For example, you needn’t worry if you don’t know all the general-purpose programming languages. You can choose to learn either Python, Ruby, PHP or the others.
Tip 3: Iron out the kinks
Now, this is something we’ve been learning since the days we went to school. When you’re clear on your fundamentals all else becomes easy.
Full stack developers need to be comfortable with both the backend and front end of software development. The base of most web development is JavaScript & HTML/CSS, so at a beginner level, strengthen your knowledge on these.
To know how good you are, test your skills by creating basic pages.
JavaScript, though a full programming language in itself, is as important, with 99% of all web based applications using JavaScript in some form or the other.
Your knowledge about servers, networks, hosting environments, algorithms, data structures, programming languages, and databases should be absolutely clear before you move up your stack.
And most importantly, you should be able to create the link between each piece of the puzzle.
It’s not about knowing single pieces of information, it’s about connecting the dots.
Tip 4: Jack of all trades, king of one
As you expand your knowledge, you will quickly learn that it’s difficult to gain expertise in all that you do.
Don’t give up. In fact, this is where most developers fail, trying to master too much.
What you need to do is become comfortable with working with all the important technologies.
That comfort level will improve with practical experience. And while you’re doing that, make one technology your main focus. This will provide you with an edge over your competitors and allow you to deliver some amazing results. Choose wisely, though, your specialty should align with what your clients need most.
Tip 5: Taking a Course
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Even if you’ve prepared properly, you’ll need to be ready to learn new things on demand.
Basically, you need to be prepared to learn anything and everything that comes your way. To do this, consider taking up an online course.